mickan in world

At first you can't see it; the sun is to bright and the sand is white as snow. After a while your eyes gets used to the light and it appears as if called for by a Hogwarts wizard. Stunned you turn around to see the rest of the passangers on the boat grinning back at you; touching your face you realize that you look just as sheepish as them. The smile that appeared on my face on first sight of Pulau Kecil, the smallest of the Perhentian Islands,  didn't wipe off for the hole time I stayed there (except when I got a urin infection from too much swimming, but with a little medecin it all worked out fine and the smile was back). Finally I understand the term: Paradise Island.

Our first day was lazy. Changing between shade and sun, working on the tan, walking up and down the beach, having good food and enjoying life. Sharing a very basic chalet (yes on the Perhentains they don't have bungalows; they have chalets) with my friend Paul; being bitten or eaten by mosquitoes (they just don't respect the repellant any more) but that wasn't nearly enough to put us down. Waking up at 3 AM to se Liverpool - AC Milan batteling for the Champions League title and life was complete; beach and football (soccer; just for you Andrew), what else is there?

The next morning our friends from Cameron Highlands arrived and set up camp in a couple of chalets on the other side of the beach. A nice bunch of people, three English guys and a Canadian girl, we also befriended two Swedish siblings (from Dalarna) and that made our gang complete. Excellent group of people.

Renting a canoe and some snorkelling gear and we got our exercise of the day. Slowly but steadily following the coastline, being stunned everytime we passed a new cove and amazed at the fish and corals under the sea. I think I might have scared away a fish or two with my far too loud version of every single "Litlle Mermaid"- song, but the occasion required it and who am I to say no?

We spent the evenings in high profile aswell; most of the time you'd find us on the veranda of the diving school drinking whatever there was and playng "Settlers" (a really funny board game the Swedes brought with them). Or we might just be in the sand somewhere chatting away ( or getting buried, right Tom?).

The best hours of or island retreat must have been the snorkelling tour though. It was spectacular! We stoped at a couple of different places; all gorgeous and with great names such as; Shark Reef, Turle Point and Fish Garden. And they really earned up to their names; the fact was we saw both sharks and turtles (and fish, but none of them were gardening). I got overly excited when we, at the first place saw a Nemo-fish, but that was just the start. The highlight must have been Turtle Point; we were cruising around in our boat; waiting for the turtles to surface for breathing. As soon as we spotted one the driver went into highspeed and we jumped of the boat and persued it. Turtles are amazing creatures. We saw five (three different spieces) and they were all magnificent, the way they move, just like flying a few decimeters above the bottom. Slowly, not caring you're there; staring at them. They have an honorable way about them, peaceful and majestic; and huge (I think most of them were as big, if not bigger than me). I get an adrenaline rush just thinking about it.
The shark was cool, a bit scary though. It took us a little while before we realized it was actually circling us. When we described it to the others they just chuckled a bit and said stuff like; "Oh, you don't want to mess with that one". Funny because me and Paul were messing around with the "Jaws"-tune just seconds earlier, might be why we jumped (figure of speach, you can't actually jump in the water) when we saw it.
The Fish Garden was crazy; the boat drivers keep feeding the fish toast (they like that for some reason) and as soon as they see the boat they go crazy. Getting into the water I must have knocked a couple of fish blurry and when you go below the surface you have a hard time actually seeing the water. The fish even tried to eat my bracelets (apperantly they resemble toast) which brought forth a series of girlish screams and giggles even I didn't know I could master.

We had some more sun and then a nice send-off to ourselves, the islands and our Swedish buds (they're going to Kuala Lumpur) Sunday before leaving on Monday morning (maybe noon doesn't count as morning back home but it does here). After 20 hours of travelling, with some hillarious travelling stories, a taste is; getting caught in a monsoon, being chased by dogs, hitch-hiking, Thai kareoke and a lot of tired laughing, we find ourselves (I am still a bit surprised) on Ko Pha Ngan. Didn't really see that one coming, but it kind of makes sense; this is where I started my travelling with Jossan in January and this is where I'll end it with this lovely group of people. It feels good, I'll have two drunken, sunny days here before going to Bangkok on Thursday. Catching the flight home on Saturday night and on Sunday I'll be back on Lidingo. Feels like a happy ending.